The Speed of Sound
by Symphony-in-Black
Summary: Ano Liosia, a small, but busy town that sits at the very edge of the New Human Empire. It, unknowingly, holds a secret, and it's about to be discovered...by vampires. Can those that they are after escape, or will they become just another meal?
1. Prologue

A group of aristocratic men stroll through the street, having an enthusiastic conversation – their arms waving and their stomachs and mustaches shaking in great amusement. They carelessly wander through the middle of intersections, boisterously laughing, either drunk to the point of stupidity or so pompous that they believe no one but their elite asses exist.

After a few close calls with several carriages and a cranky old woman that insists on giving them what-for for almost bumping her into a puddle, they reach me, and, as I predicted, there is no room to move out of the way – the only option is to get knocked to the ground. Amazingly enough, they seem to notice running into my small frame as opposed to the massive mustangs that stand a good two or three heads taller than them.

"Sorry, young lad!" One man shouts more loudly than needed as he hoists me up, the force causing me to lurch forward as I stand and slam into his well-fed stomach. "Oh!" he blushes and releases my elbow that he is still gripping firmly. Tipping his hat he starts off again, his fellow socialites tittering as they join his stride, and speaks to me once more. "Excuse, miss, won't happen again." My hair is short, my face obscured by a hat, and my clothes baggy, but still my breasts have found a way to expose me.

I can hear them even as I round the corner of the next street and head towards a quieter part of the city. I walk quickly past old buildings that look ready to crumble even with the gentlest of touches until the hustle and bustle of the main road is a distant, muffled sound. The apartment complex I enter is as ragged as the ones I had passed, the stairs questionable in their strength, but I make it to the third floor with no problems.

After an intense bout with the door that requires much jiggling of the knob and a few kicks towards the bottom, I cross the threshold of the run down room. I go to let out the sigh that has built in my lungs, but it gets caught in my throat as I stare with wide eyes at the large figure that sits on my couch.

"Mama!" I'm almost thrown to the ground as Ellie, my ten year old daughter, tackle-hugs me upon my entry, knocking the breath I was holding out of me.

"Wha-who…?" I stutter as I hug her back, wary and confused by this surprise figure.

"Oh yeah! We have a guest, mama!" She grabs my wrist and begins to drag me closer. "I found him wandering in the street and-"

"Ellie…." I say in a stern tone.

"-he looked like he was ready to die from some sort of injury the way he was kind of hunched over, but it turns out he was really hungry and exhausted. I gave him some food and told him he could sleep on the bed, but he said he'd prefer the couch, and he didn't even lie down, just kind of sat there and closed his eyes, and did you see his hair – it's so long and-"

"Ellie!" I put my hand over her mouth – damn, the girl could talk. "What have I told you about bringing strange people home?"

"Don't?"

"Right, so-"

"But!"

"Ah! So…?"

"Why is there a strange person in our home?"

"Yes."

She takes a deep breath. "Because he was wandering in the street and he looked like he was ready to die from-"

I cover her mouth again and sigh. She glares at me as I give her a light tap on the head and a firm 'stay there' look as I slowly approach the resting figure.

The man wears an elaborate priest's robe, but there is no limit to deception, and he could easily be any sort of villainy, the worst being a vampire. Upon closer inspection, it surprises me how handsome he is. He has long, blonde hair, slightly wavy, that flows past his shoulders and down to about the middle of his back. Even through his robes I can tell that he is quite toned. As I inch closer my foot hits what appears to be a long staff that leans against the couch and is loosely gripped in his hand. The slight jostle to his weapon must have awoken him though, and before I know it, the staff is at my throat and he firmly grips my shoulder so that I stay in place.

"Um…hi…." I don't know what startles me more, my imminent doom or his glittering green eyes.

"My apologies," his voice is quiet, but strong. He releases my shoulder and retracts the staff from against my neck, standing as he does so. I suddenly find myself staring at his chest, not his eyes.

"That's…alright," I murmur, blushing slightly.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I should leave." He takes a step around me, heading for the door.

"What?! No, you can't leave!" Ellie shouts. She runs up and grabs his sleeve.

"Ellie, let the man leave."

"But…but there's no church in this city! He doesn't have anywhere else to stay!"

"I was merely passing through."

"But-"

"Ellie, let him go."

"No! You never let me have any friends – I won't let him leave!"

I look at him apologetically. His face shows no emotion, so I can't tell if he feels sorry for me or is becoming extremely annoyed. "Ellie, now is not the time for this. Let-"

"No!" she lets out a louder scream. The air becomes still for a moment before it is filled with noise – unidentifiable, ear piercing noise – that comes from Ellie. My eyes water as I cover my ears, unsuccessfully trying to block out the sound. I see the priestly man kneel to the floor as well, clutching his head and gritting his teeth.

"Ellie, stop!" She doesn't know how to control it yet – I never let her learn – so the unrelenting burst of noise hurts her as well. She rolls around on the ground twitching from the power and the pain. I quickly stumble over to her and take her into a deep, sheltering embrace. I'm unsure if it will work, but I start to sing her favorite lullaby from when she was a baby. I try to make my voice as soothing as possible, but it is quite difficult when my skull feels like it is about to split in two.

What seems like an eternity, but in reality is only a minute or so, her screaming subsides and her body goes limp. I'm breathing heavily and my vision is blurry. I can barely make out the blob that is the blonde haired man stand up before my body goes numb and I fall into darkness.

* * *

Terra's ears perk – she smiles wickedly and lifts herself gracefully from the maroon, velveteen chair in which she sits. She strides smoothly across the room, past others that glumly sit around, and through a door that leads to a smaller, but more elaborately decorated, bedroom.

A man sits on the windowsill, the curtains drawn against the daylight, staring out onto the streets. Terra's arms are around his chest before he can fully say her name.

"Did you hear that, Nicolai?" she purrs in his ear.

"I did. It seems we found her again." He smirks, long fangs protruding from his lips.

"When should we move in?"

"As soon as it's safe to step outside. I'm sure the others will be excited to finally move."

Terra struts out of the small room. A few seconds later Nicolai can hear a number of hoots and hollers, and a few cackles of glee, from the adjacent room. The time has come to collect the prize he had ten years back, and a few times since. He gets up from his position on the windowsill and walks over to a limp form lying on the bed of the room. The body is a few hours old, and the blood far from fresh, but he finishes it off nonetheless. The little girl that had eluded him would be found, and her protector would make a beautiful snack. He chuckles to himself, licking his blood soaked fingers, as he stares out the curtained window and watches as the sun sinks further behind the earth.


	2. Chapter 1

_I am running hard. I had only heard the explosion, the sound echoed so it was difficult to discern from where it had come, but I knew. The worry I have been hiding for the past few months has taken form into reality. My vision is a straight and narrow tunnel, all regard for my surroundings has been thrown out of my mind, the only thing I see, the only thing I think about, is the church that I sprint frantically towards._

_People gather around the wreckage. There's no fire, so they look on in confusion, not knowing what could have caused such massive damage without the use of some sort of bomb._

_I hold no confusion. As quick as I can, I scramble up the crumbling stone; I use the splintered head of a wooden Madonna as a booster over the debris. Half falling, half climbing, I reach the other side of the rubble and continue my sprint._

_I can hear the crying in the distance – Ellie. Her high-pitched whimper pierces my ears, but it is not bad enough to cause me my own grief and slow me down. I knew they wouldn't be safe here, but I caved to them both, and I believed._

_The room is ahead on my left. My breathing is ragged as I turn the corner…._

I wake with a start. My breath catches in my throat as I stare wildly at my surroundings. When I realize I'm in the small bedroom of our apartment I breathe again. Ellie, who lies at my side, sighs gently in her sleep from my sudden shift, but doesn't wake. I tenderly brush the fallen locks of her hair out of her face.

"You are awake."

I jump and look over to the corner by the door. The priest leans against the wall, his arms folded against his chest, the long staff resting next to him. Apparently I hadn't scanned the room close enough; I missed his tall form during my first glance. I nod to show that I've heard him, but I am lost for words at the moment, so I sit there and stare blankly back at him.

"I have contacted the Vatican. They have sent an escort for both of you."

"Thanks," I say, and then his words sink in. "Wait…what?"

"You will be safer at the Vatican, and an escort will be arriving to take you there." He exits the room and starts for the main door of the apartment.

I ponder this. We have been safe for the past ten years, outburst like this have happened before, but never one so…noticeable. If there are vampires in the town they would surely have heard that and will begin their search for Ellie. I peer outside. It's dark. A foreboding feeling comes over me.

I climb out of the bed and quickly follow the priest to the door.

"How long will it be until the escort arrives?"

"I am unsure. They did not specify."

"Must you leave then?"

"If vampires were in this town, and even if they had heard, there is a minute possibility that they will find you. The noise was great and will not be easily pinpointed."

"But there still is that possibility."

"I am close to finding something I have been searching for, for a very long time. My condolences, but I must depart." A cold look enters his eyes before he looks at me again. He gives a slight bow and exits through the decaying door.

I should be highly enraged. I should run after him and start reaming him a new one, but the coolness in his eyes, and the dark determination in his voice, leaves me slightly speechless. I sigh. He's right. As long as we lay low for the rest of the night, and for the next few days, all should be well, and then we will be on our way to the Vatican.

"He's leaving isn't he, mama?" I jump for the second time tonight as Ellie walks out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes with the side of her right hand.

"Yes," I say softly. "I'm sorry, Ellie." She shakes her head and smiles. It's supposed to make me feel better, but I feel worse. I've denied her a lot to protect her and my heart tightens in my chest. "Why don't you change into your nightgown? I'll get you some water and we'll go back to bed, alright?" She nods and turns sleepily back into the bedroom, while I go to the cupboards, grab a glass, and start to fill it at the sink.

My mind wanders back to my dream. I think about the rest of the events that had happened that night and look to the couch. I had taken it for a situation like this; I should use it, or at least carry it around, just in case.

Sitting the water-filled glass on the small, worn table in front of it, I kneel by the couch and start flailing my hand around under it until my fingers hit a hard, metal object. I go to pull it out, but it seems to be stuck on something; an old, forgotten piece of food, a dead rat, I don't know, and I don't really want to. I tug harder until the object is freed. In the process, though, the force in which I was pulling flings me back and my shoulder hits the table. I can't see it, but I know it is going to happen. Glass shatters everywhere and my feet become soaked. Wonderful; and that was one of the good ones too.

Sighing for the millionth time I tip-toe around the shards and get a rag from the kitchen, leaving the object still slightly concealed under the couch. Once I have the clean cloth in my hand, I turn and I find Ellie picking up the pieces. The girl is like a ghost, I hadn't even heard her come back out of the bedroom.

"Ellie not with your bare hands, you'll cut yourself." And, sure enough, a few seconds later she gives a small ouch as she slices open her index finger; the blood forms a bright red droplet at the cut before it runs down her hand and drips to the floor. I walk over and smack her on the head with the rag. "Wash it up."

I start cleaning up the mess, but the scrap towel is full of water and glass, and is unusable far faster than I would have thought.

"Ellie could you get me another one?" Silence greets me. "Ellie?"

I look up to find her eyes transfixed on the window above the sink. A dark shadow stands there. I can't see the entire face, but there is enough light from the moon to clearly see the grin that is planted there. A curved fang protrudes from the lips.

Shit.

"Ellie run!" But it's too late. The glass breaks and she shrieks, covering her face; the figure grabs her in that same second. I reach under the couch, but I have no time to fully retrieve the object as glass breaks in from the other window of the apartment; a hand tangles itself in my hair, the clawed fingernails slightly scraping my scalp, and pushes down on my head. I catch myself with my free hand, the glass that still lies on the floor cutting it in various places.

"She's fast for a human wench," the figure who grabbed me cackles. I glare up at him – if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man.

"Ow, fuck! Why do I have to hold it?" Ellie gets a few good kicks to her captor's stomach before he holds her flailing body at arms length. As the man that holds my hair laughs at his companion I take the opportunity to scan the room. It seems to be only the two of them, but there could be more outside. I bite my lip as my mind races to think of some sort of plan.

My hand curls around the shards of glass on the floor, and I give a small and hopefully weak sounding, groan.

The laughing man leans over my face and sneers. He's as stupid as I thought. I throw the glass at his face; it startles him, but he doesn't let go, so I kick my leg backward. I hope that it finds something and it does. I hit him directly in the knee cap and his hand falters. I take the chance and pull out the object from under the coach. I aim and pray. First that it hits something, second that that something is the vampire and not Ellie.

I fire and the bullet pierces the junction of the vampire's neck and shoulder. He drops Ellie and kneels in pain; screams as his skin steams from the small, but deadly, wound. The stupid one stares in disbelief, giving me another chance, which I gladly take, to kick him forcefully in the place that hurts the male gender no matter what you are, vampire or human, and hit the base of his skull with the gun as hard as possible.

He's stunned, but I don't know for how long. Ellie runs over to me and I carry her out of the broken living room window in my free arm, her hands gripping me tightly, and out onto the fire escape. The rusty, metal stair case is a blur as I whip around each platform and descend to the ground. There is a small glass vile, a cross emblazoned on it, which is attached to the barrel of the gun. I rip out the cork and put the liquid in my mouth, holding it in my cheeks.

I skid to a halt on the final platform of the escape to see the dumb one glaring at me; he's slightly hunched over in pain and I smile. This pisses him off even more and he lunges at me. As soon as he is inches from me, I spit out the liquid and he receives a face full of holy water. I run around the screaming form, down the last set of stairs, and onto the dark streets. I am at a loss of where to go. All I know is I only have a chance if I keep running.

The priest's image flashes across my mind. He can't have gone that far, I just hope that I'm running in the right direction.

Before this thought can fully sink in, though, I slam into a figure; a woman this time, my height, but with longer hair and much bigger boobs. I stumble back and point the gun. She's faster than the others, and by the time I fire she already has my wrist in her grip and is twisting my arm back. Unable to resist, I'm spun around, my arm in an uncomfortable position against my back, and I drop the gun on the ground. Another pair of hands grabs Ellie away from me before I'm swung back towards the woman, and then kicked in my side, the force of the blow sending me flying into a nearby brick wall. I'm surprised I don't suffer a concussion and a few broken ribs by the time I land on the ground.

A foot slams against my back and I am pinned before I can even try to get up.

"Nice try, poppet," the form chuckles. "You're so bothersome. We should just eat you now." I see him lick his lips and bare his fangs out of the corner of my eye.

"Suck it up, Damien," says the woman. "Nicolai said to keep her alive."

"And what do I care, whore? He's not here." He starts to kneel down closer to my neck.

"May I inquire as to what you are doing, Damien." It's not a question, it's a command. The cool voice comes from in front of me and I shift my gaze accordingly.

"N-nicolai! I was just…um, you see…" Damien stumbles over his words and takes a few steps back, his foot coming off of my back in the process. Air that I didn't know I was missing seeps back into my lungs and I almost gag because of the unexpected rush.

"You did better than I would have expected from a human." This time he talks to me as I lift myself up to a kneeling position, and look him fully in the face. He has murky red eyes; short black hair frames his strong face. He wears a belittling smirk and stands with his arms crossed, staring down at me. He leans down and cups my chin. "I want to commend you for killing two of my men." His voice slithers through my ears and causes me to shiver.

"You let go of my mama!" Ellie yells at Nicolai. He turns his attention to her. Sometimes I wonder if she knows how to keep her mouth shut, but it's not so bad this time - it gives me a chance to speak.

"Ellie scream!"

"But-!"

"Just do it!" She takes a deep breath and gets ready to shout as loud as her little lungs will allow, but is quickly knocked out by the woman.

"Idiot!" she yells to the vampire that holds Ellie. "Don't just stand there and let her kill us! Give me the child." She grabs the unconscious Ellie, and hoists her over her shoulder. "The rest of you," she points to the several other vampires that stand around us, "secure that." She looks over to me like I'm some sort of disgusting, mutated creature that has emerged from the sewers. Bitch.

I'm out of ideas as they hoist me up and secure my arms behind my back, forcing me to walk forward with them into the night. A whistling sound reaches my ears, followed by a squelching sound. My left arm is free. I look over to find my captor split in two, his organs spreading across the street with his blood. I hear the same combination of sounds and now my right arm is free; my second captor is decapitated instead of split in two, but no better off.

A strong hand pulls me back so that I am now standing behind the blonde-haired priest from before. I am delighted to see that his staff has a hidden sword in it, the blade dripping blood. He points the bladed staff at the group of vampires and I have to inwardly slap myself for thinking how gorgeous he looks at this particular moment.

"Release the girl," he states firmly. Well, shoot, why didn't I think of that? I'm sure it will work well.

The woman that holds Ellie, and the lead vampire, Nicolai, both chuckle simultaneously.

"A tempting offer," Nicolai says in his cold voice, "but I'm afraid I'll have to decline." He snaps his fingers and the both of them are shielded by a wall of bodies that look ready and willing to shed some blood. The air is still, and then the first vampire lunges. I can barely follow him as he moves forward. I find it difficult to believe that the priest can match the vampire's speed to attack back, or even defend, but the blade cleanly slices through the air, stabbing the rushing man in the heart and slicing through the body until the blade exits out of the neck. It's gruesome, but I find myself smiling. Maybe there is a chance to get Ellie back after all.

Nicolai, who had been watching with glee, now stares scornfully at the priestly man, who I'm beginning to think is definitely more than he appears.

"Finish him then return," he states in the same collected voice. His face, however, is far from calm, but we must not let on to our pawns that we are actually worried, lest they retreat and leave us open for attack. He turns, the woman following, and they both disappear into the night with Ellie.

There are five left now. I notice that the Damien fellow is lurking in the back, not as willing to die as the others, who still, even after three of their comrades are dead, continue to underestimate the priest. They lunge and he runs. I'd rather him die now, but it seems we'll be seeing him again.

Three fall dead, and the priest pins the remaining one to the ground by his shoulder with the blade.

"Where are they headed?" he demands. The vampire laughs annoyingly and slits his own throat; quite the loyalist, or at least smart enough to save himself the pain of being tortured.

The priest sighs and removes the blade from the body, swiping it quickly through the air to shake off all the blood before resting his arm at his side.

"I guess I kind of missed the low profile approach, didn't I?" I laugh meekly. He does not seem amused.

"Do you know where they are?"

I stare at him blankly. "Why of course. I do believe they live in the apartment above the bakery. They so do love their mid-morning scones." I pause for a few moments after my blatant sarcastic attack. "No, I don't know where they are!" I huff and blow a few strands of hair out of my face.

"A simple question," he states.

"A stupid one," I counter. We stare at each other for a moment in awkward silence.

"Sorry…" I mumble. He starts to walk forward and I follow. Neither of us have any idea where we're going but it is better than just standing around by cut up, blood and organ spewing bodies, I suppose.

"So, what's your name anyway?" I ask trying to break the tension.

"Hugue. It would be beneficial to know yours as well."

"Karin." I'm met with another long string of silence. That didn't work very well, so I decide to turn my attention to something more important.

I try my best to think of where they could be. Maybe the bakery wasn't such a bad idea…. But they probably wouldn't be anywhere on the main street; unless of course it was so obvious that they wouldn't be there that they were, in fact, there.

I'm starting to confuse myself, so I stop – both my thoughts and my body. I look up to the sky; it's a clear evening, every star is visible. It's beautiful, just like that night ten years ago.

My eyes widen. It's no crazier than any of my other ideas, and it's worth a shot. My legs move again, this time at a run. As I pass Hugue, I grab his arm and drag him after me.

"An idea, I presume?" he asks as his legs catch up and soon I'm the one that's starting to fall behind.

"Yes," I say as we turn down a dark side street, "the church."

"I thought one did not exist?"

"Well, technically I guess it was destroyed, but the debris from its collapse is still there. They didn't bother to build a new church or clear it away. No one wanted the plot for a business, it's too far from the main street, and building another apartment would be a waste of time and money. In the end they just erected walls around it. I suppose their theory was if no one could see it, it never really happened."

We come to an abrupt stop in front of high walls of grey concrete.

"So here we are," I gasp. "Your good with that thing," I point to the staff, "but how high can you jump?"


	3. Chapter 2

I've never been so afraid of heights until now. I swear the man is superhuman as he catapults me into the air, lifting me a few feet above the top of the wall, so that, as gravity pulls me back down, it's ultimately up to me whether I stick it on the wall or fall to the ground on the other side and break my neck.

Fortunately, I was blessed with some decent aiming skills, as was already proven once tonight, and I land safely, if not a little harshly, on the concrete top. Hugue, that beautiful son of a bitch, uses his staff to easily vault himself onto the top of the wall. Without looking at me as I cling to the grey stone like a scared cat in a tree, he jumps down, not even faltering from the nearly twenty foot drop. Upon his landing he turns towards the wall and holds out his arms. Jump. He wants me to jump. Men.

I give a small groan and roll of the top of the wall. He catches me easily enough and gives me a look as if to say 'I don't see why you were so worried.'

"Where do we proceed to now?" he asks, lifting me upright and setting me on the ground.

"I don't know." He gives me a cool side glance. "Hey, at least I thought of something!" I huff.

Hugue starts walking forward slowly, weaving through the mounds of debris while meticulously scanning the crumbling rocks and wood.

"Do you know anything of the construction of the church?"

"I can't say I do. It was built long before I was ever born, and I never visited enough to know more than where the altar and a few rooms were." I fidget with a small piece of stone with my foot at my less than helpful answer.

Silence ensues as he continues to search the area. He passes through a, amazingly, still standing door frame and into what would have been a small room; fit for two people, with a queen size bed, two night stands, an armoire full of colorful dresses, two high arched windows. Surely one could have deduced all of this with careful precision from the small scraps that still lay about, but I knew before entering – the placement of furniture, the size, the color; this was where they died and where Ellie lied, crying for the people that were long gone. I stare somberly at the area, my mind wandering, my senses becoming dull.

Sharp tapping awakens me from my reverie. I look over to find Hugue hitting the bottom of his bladed staff against the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"Quiet. Do you hear the difference?" He taps one spot; there is a dull knocking sound. He moves the staff about a foot to his left and hits again. This time the sound is hollow. My eyes widen and I quickly go to the place he just hit.

"A tunnel?" I kneel down and scramble my hands around the ground, trying to find a notch or hole of some sort that will allow me to lift the deceiving stone door. "Ha!" I let out a breath of triumph as I find a small niche in the floor. I pull with all my might and give an exasperated sigh. Apparently the door is deceivingly heavy as well.

The bottom of Hugue's staff jabs into the hole, and he uses it as a lever to pop the door out of its place, then, using one arm, he lifts it open the rest of the way. Steep stone steps curl down into a thick darkness. It's too late to go back for a light, so I cautiously start shuffling down the staircase, Hugue following close behind. I never thought a church would contain such a secret - so it is true that you learn something new everyday.

Not knowing where the steps end, I almost trip once I hit the level bottom. Torches with low flames line the walls; it's not much help, but it's better than absolute darkness, so I slowly let my eyes adjust to the dim lighting.

"Now wh-" Hugue's hand closes over my mouth, muffling my question, as he pushes me flat against the wall behind me. He keeps his hand on my face as he, too, presses his back on the cool stones. There is gentle murmuring coming from a neighboring passage. Two vampires pass us at our left. I can barely discern their outlines from the wall, but they soon continue on, fortunately not sensing our presence – amazing considering my heart was practically shouting 'Over here you oafs!'

After a few moments, Hugue takes his hand away from my mouth and puts a finger to his lips, signaling that we should keep quiet. He starts walking in the same direction the vampires went. After peering around the corner of the next hallway, he signals to me by waving his hand to follow him.

We slowly creep along the wall, stopping every now and again to listen for anyone that might be approaching. A few agonizing minutes pass before we reach a series of adjoining passages, all lined with the same dim light – this could get complicated.

Just like before, Hugue goes forward, checks the next hallways, then, upon them being clear, signals me to come. It is an arduous process, and who knows if we're even going in the appropriate direction.

As I scamper forward to join Hugue, I notice a string of walking figures to my left. I quickly duck back into the passage I was just in and peer carefully around the corner. I can only see shadows and outlines, but I can tell that most of the figures are men except for two – one is a female with huge, enviable breasts; the woman from before no doubt. The second is a shorter figure that hangs its head and only comes up to about mid-thigh.

"Ellie!" I shout the name before thinking, covering my mouth and cursing myself in the same instant.

A swarm of footsteps come in my direction, and I panic. I turn to run, but for the second time that night I am pinned to the ground with a foot at my spine.

"Well, look at what we have here." The voice belongs to Damien. I can imagine the smirk on his face and it disgusts me. "Ah!" The pressure is alleviated from my back. He's rolled forward and off of my body to avoid Hugue's blade that points at where Damien's head was. "Careful now, you almost killed me," he says tauntingly. "You better watch out for yourself, though," he continues, "and not this little one."

There's a string of clashes behind me. I roll onto my back and lift my head – again, there isn't much but outlines and a few glints of metal, but I can easily tell that, no matter how strong Hugue is, he's outnumbered; and in this narrow, low ceiling hallway, which already makes it hard enough for him to move with his weapon, he's at even more of a disadvantage.

To my great dismay he is finally overcome. His body collapses to the ground after a violent blow to the back of the head and the group that circles him cackles with glee.

"Should we eat him, or kill him off and leave him to fester for the rats?" One says, stepping forward and kicking the unconscious priest.

"Stop!" I scream and run into the middle of the circle, shielding Hugue's body as much as I can. "Back off, ass!"

"Little whore!" He slaps me hard across the face, but I stand my ground. "We'll just have you first then!" He pulls me forward by the collar of my shirt. His mouth is inches from my neck when he stops.

"Enough." The cool voice of Nicolai reaches my ears. I turn my head. I can't see his, but I know he's staring straight into my eyes. "Leave them alive – both could prove to be useful. Make sure to knock the woman out, though. She can be quite resourceful, as we've already seen." There's no time to react as a fist comes down on the back of my head; the dark figures envelop into an even darker abyss.


	4. Chapter 3

I awake, very unexpectedly, on something soft. My eyes flutter open and I find that I lay on a large, silk covered bed; a canopy encases it, the sheer, maroon color making any objects outside of the veil hazy. I cast my gaze to my side and notice a large, human-sized lump under the covers. Uneasiness grips me. I inch closer to the edge of the bed, in case I need to run, and reach my hand out to the form. I take a deep breath, whip the sheets away, and scream, falling, as I do so, off of the bed and onto the carpeted floor below.

"I take it you don't like my gift." Nicolai walks in through a door a few feet away. I look from him to the shriveled, rotting corpse that lies on the bed.

"Delightful," I snap with as much sarcasm as I can muster. I pick myself up and inch closer to a nearby window. I'm puzzled as to whether we're still underground or not, but there is sunlight coming from behind the curtains, and that's all that matters. "What did you do with Hugue?" I ask as I continue to edge towards the window.

"I find it amazing that you inquire of him first, and not your dear daughter. It tugs at the heart strings." He covers his heart with his hand and sighs dramatically, closing his eyes for extra effect. I'm at the window. Now's my chance. I lift my arm to separate the curtains; my hand is caught inches from the hanging cloth. Nicolai smirks and puts his face close to mine.

"You didn't think I'd get distracted that easily did you?" I glare at him and try to pull away, but he grips my hand tighter until I wince in pain and stop the pointless tug of war with my arm. He lifts his free hand and runs it through my dark reddish-brown hair, slightly frowning.

"It's a shame that you've cut it all off. You looked rather fetching with long hair. And such a beautiful color…like that of dried blood." I slap his hand away.

"What do you want with me? Why keep me alive?" I ask, trying to get straight at the point. He pulls me away from the window and throws me onto the bed. I sit back up quickly, both from my head being far too close to the decaying body and that I don't like where this is going one bit.

"No need to get so tense. I need your body for no such act. I wouldn't want to take away the pleasure from the others, I'm sure they will have a wonderful time passing you around before sucking you dry." My hands tighten at my sides as he laughs at my distressed look. "I, of course, need to keep you alive for other reasons as well. The child is stubborn, and will not cooperate easily, but once she sees you or that blonde haired priest tortured to within an inch of your lives, she'll do as we say so that we stop. A simple, but effective, tactic wouldn't you say?"

"I'll just tell her to not help you no matter what happens. She'll never listen to you."

"And what makes you think she'll listen to you; after she knows the truth. Lying to her the entirety of her life is no way to win her trust." I swear my face will be permanently stuck in a disgruntled position from how much I've been glaring lately.

"I've picked out something for you to wear." He turns away from me and flicks his hand over towards a wooden Venetian dresser, on top of which lays an orange sundress and matching heels. "Don't try to not wear it; the guards won't let you out until you change." He opens the door and tilts his head back towards me. "Besides, you'll want to look your best for your…daughter…won't you?" I jump up and quickly run towards him so I can pummel him. He's out of the room and the door closes before I can reach him, though, so I settle for punching the door instead of his face. I take a large, elongated breath and let it out in a growl, turning towards the bright, flowing dress. It looks as if I have no choice.

* * *

After inhabiting men's clothes for the past ten years, wearing a dress and heels is quite the strange sensation. My gait is a little wobbly as I travel down a series of passages, guided and guarded by two vampires, who insist on looking back and leering at me every few minutes, their eyes drinking in the prize that's to come once I have worn out my usefulness. I'd like to rip out their beady little eyes and shove them up their asses.

It's not long before we've successfully traversed the complicated grid of tunnels and we reach a staircase that spirals down into darkness like the one when Hugue and I first entered. I'm led down the stairs, again almost tripping at the bottom; and to the end of the tunnel where there is a thick, wooden door. My one escort pulls the heavy slab of wood out of the way, while the other pushes me forward, almost causing me to fall flat on my face.

The light here is much brighter, many more torches line the walls, the fire on them burning intensely, and it makes it easy for me to scan the room – well, room may be an understatement. It's more like an underground coliseum; there's a circular dirt pit with high stone walls. This church is turning out to be a prime example of one of those things that is far more than meets the eye.

I'm ushered into the center of the area rather unceremoniously. There doesn't seem to be anyone else around, not even Nicolai. A dull clunking sounds to my right; a small section of the floor sinks down and a moment later a different platform emerges, this one carrying an occupant. Two thick, steel poles are securely placed in the ground; chains hang off of the top of either and attached to those chains is Hugue – he seems to still be unconscious; his body droops forward, the only thing that holds him up are the chains.

"Hugue!" Neither of the guards stops me as I run over to him. I slap him gently across the face. "Wake up, damn it!" I whisper tersely. I can't do this alone and him not being awake isn't very helpful. It's then that I notice that his robes have been removed, leaving his chest bare. What is it with these vampires and taking people's clothes?

Scars cover his body. I was right to think he was not just some humble priest; he's had a hard past which makes for a dangerous future. I feel bad for dragging him into this and making everything worse.

"I knew that dress would suit you – it brings out the red in your hair, Karin." I whirl around to find Nicolai approaching followed by several others; among them Damien and the obnoxious woman, whose gives a slight scowl at Nicolai's words.

"Where's Ellie?"

"She's perfectly fine." He steps to the side to reveal her. Ellie's appearance, in my opinion, is far from fine. She looks to me with tear filled eyes. There is a strange, metal contraption that encompasses her head that seems to impede her from opening her mouth too widely; I can barely make out the whispered 'mama' that passes her lips.

"What the hell did you do to her, you sick bastard?"

"Karin, Karin…I'm merely protecting that precious voice of hers." He picks Ellie up and holds her in his arms; she struggles a bit, but not with her usual gumption, the awkward metal cage on her head the obvious cause of that. "You see, if she goes to open her mouth too widely, this mechanism is designed to put weight on the pressure points in her neck until she passes out. We can't have anyone dying from that uncontrolled scream of hers; it just wouldn't do." My anger seethes with his revelation.

"I will allow you to release her from this bond, though. After all, even if she is free to use her voice, I think by now she well understands that not only will we vampires dies, but so will you and the priest." There is a small tinkling and Damien steps forward, a tiny silver key hangs on a ring that loops his finger; I also notice that he holds Hugue's bladed staff in his opposite hand and slightly leans against it. "Of course, life is full of choices, and now is no different. If you choose to save Ellie, the priest will die. Terra if you will." This time the woman steps forward, a bigger, heavier key gripped in her hand, a wicked smile on her face. With a nod from Nicolai both of them throw the keys on the ground. They are close enough to me that I only have to take a few steps to reach them, but far enough from each other that once I make my decision the remaining key can be picked back up before I can get to it.

It's quite the predicament – I want to save Ellie, but I can't let Hugue die, not like this. Nicolai never said Ellie and I would be set free if I took her key, and the same thing is true if I took Hugue's key; he'd be safe for the time being, but for how long? I bite my lip; a few of the vampires laugh at my anguish, and lower my head. I have no idea what to do.

There is a gentle nudge at my back. Hugue…is he awake? I scan the faces of the cluster of vampires – none of them seem to have noticed his subtle signal. I chew my lip a bit more before making my decision. It kills me on the inside, so I avoid looking at Ellie's face as I retrieve the key to the shackles that hold Hugue in place.

Loud laughter bursts through the silence.

"So she chooses the man," I hear Nicolai's voice shout jovially above all the rest. "Only a true mother would sacrifice anything for her child." My hand fumbles with the key. I don't want him to say it. "This, of course, can only mean one thing." Both of Hugue's arms are free. I slightly stumble under his weight as I position him onto my back. "You see my dear child," Nicolai continues, looking in mock-sympathy, "she doesn't love you, she doesn't want you. Because she…is not your mother."

"Liar!" I shout, taking a few steps forward, unwanted tears in my eyes.

"You deny that you are not her mother," he chuckles between his words.

"No," I hesitate, " I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't love her like she's my own!"

"So, you steal her from her true parents-"

"I didn't steal her!"

"-to care for her and love her, then leave her in the hands of vampires. How devoted you are."

"Shut up! Ellie," I look to her for the first time since my decision. Tears flow freely down her face and I can feel my own threatening to fall as well. It hurts my heart but I hold her gaze. I walk over to her and take her hand in mine; there are a few snorts from the observing vampires as my legs falter a little from having walked while still supporting Hugue on my back.

"Ellie," I say more gently. I take her hand in mine. "Don't worry; we'll be out of this in no time."

Damien and a few others bark out in laughter. I ignore them and squeeze Ellie's hand firmly.

"I promise."


	5. Chapter 4

Everything happens in an instant. I pull Ellie forward, out of Nicolai's arms and into my own, and duck down. Hugue, who has been feigning unconsciousness, uses my back as a catapult. Spinning his legs around, he knocks Damien square in the jaw. The blow misses Nicolai as he quickly jumps out of the way. The impact causes Damien to drop both the bladed staff and the key he had picked up, before he flies across the room.

The vampires are stunned, but it doesn't take them long to recover and launch a barrage of attacks on Hugue. However, with his staff in hand and the multitude of space, Hugue is fending them off perfectly, and forces them to break ranks and scatter so as not to risk being sliced apart en masse.

I use the chaos to shuffle over to the small, silver key to remove the head gear from Ellie; the only problem is I have no idea where the lock is so it's taking me longer than anticipated to get it off. As I search a shadow engulfs me. I hurriedly push Ellie forward and throw the key with her as a foot sails my way, catching me in the chest and knocking me back. I'm stopped by one of the metal poles; I lean forward and cough from having the wind knocked out of me from both directions.

I look around to see Ellie using the key to unhook the contraption – good girl – but who the hell kicked me? I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the fist of my answer as it smashes into the pole, shattering the thick, compressed metal upon contact.

Terra shakes her hand and cracks her knuckles. "I don't see any point in keeping you alive, so I'll do the honors." She has the same look in her eyes from before, when Nicolai had complemented me. It'll probably cost me my life, but I snort in laughter. She's jealous, and it's hilarious.

She glares and lunges. I'm pushed to my back as I, somehow, catch her hand, her sharp nails inches from clawing out my eyes. There's not much of a window of opportunity to kill, or at least maim, her, so I have to make it wider. Let's see if she's easier to distract than Nicolai. "So how long was it before you saw him again?" I flit my eyes quickly towards Nicolai. "It seemed like ages until he left; I was so exhausted," I say with an exaggerated sigh. I bite my lip and smile, keeping myself from having a laughing fit at how ridiculous what I'm saying is. Ridiculous, but effective.

Her eyes have taken on a bright red glow and she seems even more determined to rip me to shreds. So determined that she doesn't realize I've moved my legs under her stomach. I use every ounce of strength in my body to kick my legs up, the pointed heels of my shoes puncturing her abdomen. It catches her off guard enough that I can roll her off me and get to my feet. I didn't expect her to stay down for long, though, so I can't say that I'm surprised as her hand circles around my throat. She lifts me up until my feet dangle above the ground and I have to use my hands to elevate myself to keep gravity from doing the choking for her.

"I'll kill you, wench." She starts to squeeze. I take a chance and drop my one hand down to my side. I lift the skirt of my dress and pull out the dagger I had pilfered from the room, it hung on the wall above the dresser, and I had stored in the elastic of my underwear, before I had left. I go to stab her in the heart, but she stops my attack with her free hand.

"Nice try," she snarls, continuing to squeeze harder.

"Who said I was done." I lift my foot and jab the heel into her jugular, the blood squirts out of her neck drenching my leg and mixing with the blood I had already spilt from her stomach. She gasps, drops me, and clutches her own throat, trying, in vain, to stop the bleeding. I kick her behind the knees. She collapses and hacks up blood, narrowing her eyes at me as I grip the dagger tightly in both of my hands.

"No hard feelings, eh?" I say before swinging the blade horizontally into her skull, slicing off half of her ear in the process. Her eyes roll back into her head, her hands fall from her neck, limp. I give a half smile. Heels and steel, a girl's best friend.

I shake my head a little; there's no time for horrible puns, I have to get Ellie out of here. I see her a few feet away, hunched over so as not to get hit by any stray attacks from the vampires.

"Ellie!" She turns her head my way. "Ellie, come here, it's dangerous!" She looks at me with a sadness and angry pain in her eyes. I flinch at her scorn.

A shadow swoops over her and she gives a small scream of protest; Nicolai, free to capture her because of the embattled Hugue, and her unwillingness to listen, wrestles with her in his arms and carries her over to the side of the arena. He throws her at the junction of the wall and the ground; then kicks the wall a few feet from where Ellie landed. The stone his foot hit moves in. It's hard to hear because of the fighting, but there is a clunking sound. Curved, steel bars jut out of the floor in front of Ellie and puncture the wall a few feet above her head so that she is encased in a barred, metal dome. Knowing I am watching Nicolai turns his head over to me and smirks; taunting me, daring me to even try and get her out.

"Maybe it's just me, but I don't think she wants to listen to you anymore."

I glare at him and start to run over. I'm not about to let him win. Before I can get too far, though, an arm raps around my waist and I'm lifted through the air, landing opposite of Ellie by the exit to the underground coliseum.

"What the hell?" I peer up to the owner of the arm. It's Hugue. "Damn it, man – how am I supposed to get Ellie out from over here?!"

"I shall retrieve her. You will be too much of a hindrance if you stay."

I look at him in outrage, my lips moving wordlessly while my mind tries to think of a few choice words. Then I think. I managed to kill Terra, but that was pure luck, and there's no way I can fight off anymore vampires or break those thick bars that encase Ellie. And if something would happen where he would have to get Ellie and himself out quickly, having me here would only slow things down.

It hurts to admit it to myself, but he's right. I look to Ellie who both pushes and tugs at the bars. Nicolai stands guarding the small cage with his ever-present smirk. There are only a few vampires left that close in around us, Damien is still slumped against the wall, but whether he is truly dead or faking it, it is hard to say.

I clench my hands and look back up at Hugue. Nodding, I turn and run out of the large room; my mind racing as fast as my legs to find a way through the multiple tunnels and back to the surface.


	6. Chapter 5

Seconds after Karin leaves, the remaining vampires fall to Hugue's bladed staff, their blood soaking into the compacted dirt ground like the others that had been killed before them.

"Impressive." Hugue looks over to Nicolai's sneering face, whipping the blade through the air to clean it of blood as he does so. "But you're not unbeatable."

In a blur of color, Nicolai's form disappears from sight. Seconds later a loud clang sounds in the air, Hugue's bladed staff colliding with a sword. The blade, however, was not ordinary metal, the hilt not made from any normal substance either – Nicolai's arm had become the sword, his nails and the bones from his hand, as well as some from his forearm, making the blade; his skin and muscle tightening and hardening to become the hilt; all of it coming together to make his arm an even more powerful and wicked extension.

The force of the impact sent both flying backwards, Hugue skidding to a halt a few feet away, Nicolai landing gracefully on the ground before him. Taking his left hand, which was still in its normal state, Nicolai swept it through his hair, ruffling it a bit before dropping it down to his side again.

"So, tell me priest, as I am curious, what makes you protect these two?"

"I will not allow you to harm the innocent."

"But wouldn't it be easier to just walk away?" He fans his hand toward the door of the coliseum.

Hugue, not needing to look because he knew very well where the exit was and he didn't want to take his eyes off of Nicolai, kept glaring ahead of him. A shadow, however, moves by the doorway and he shifts his gaze from the sword-armed vampire to the dark lump that rises from the ground.

"Ah, Damien, I figured you dead," Nicolai says airily, setting his hand on his waist. "Excellent. Now you can finish this worthless holy man while I fetch Karin."

Damien, using the wall as a prop, stands to his full height, rubbing his jaw where Hugue's foot had contacted it earlier. Despite the pain he is feeling, obvious by the blood that trickles from his mouth and the dark bruise that is already forming on his chin, there is a grin on his face and a deep chuckle erupts from his throat.

"Or how about this," Damien says in the midst of his laughter, "_I'll_ go after the woman, and finally get a piece of what I deserve." At this he laughs a little more and licks his lips. "You can stay here and die by his blade." He nods his head towards Hugue.

Nicolai narrows his eyes. "You don't have confidence in me anymore, Damien? I must admit that's quite depressing."

"Shove it in your ass. Didn't you see what he did to the others? Ten years we waited and this is how we're rewarded. Death by a damn priest." Damien grits his teeth, smirking all the while. "Well, if I'm going to die, I'm going to enjoy myself first." And with that he runs through the door.

"Damn." Hugue instinctively jerks toward the door, but is stopped by Nicolai's blade as he swipes it towards Hugue's head.

"Now, now – aren't you forgetting about something?" He nods his head towards Ellie, who has, by now, ceased her struggle with the unmovable bars and is watching the death match between Hugue and Nicolai. "I suppose I don't really need Karin anymore, but by all means save her first so I can take this little one away." He sneers tauntingly and lunges.

"I think I might have figured it out, priest – the reason why you protect them. It's in your eyes." Nicolai forcefully swings his blade horizontally, Hugue nimbly deflecting it and countering with an upwards, side slash. "They remind you of others that you could not protect." He smirks as he dodges and ducks from Hugue's attacks. "It's too late for them, but you can redeem yourself by saving these two."

Hugue, duly angry from Nicolai's words, thrusts his blade forward, catching Nicolai in the shoulder, and using the force to tackle him to the ground. Nicolai, pinned but not finished, swipes with his clawed hand towards Hugue's face, leaving small scratches and catching him off guard. As Hugue falters a bit, Nicolai takes the opportunity to slash with his mutated arm against Hugue's chest, sending him flying, leaving behind a trail of blood.

"No!" Ellie screams out as she sees Hugue fall. The scream, as before, continues, uncontrolled and painful.

Nicolai grits his teeth. "Shut up! Shut up, you stupid girl!"

Hugue sits up, wincing a bit from his wound; and watches as Nicolai collapses to the ground, holding his head. Hugue heard it at first, but nothing now. He looks to Ellie. Her eyes are squeezed shut and her mouth open wide like she is screaming, but he can hear nothing.

He gives a rare smile as he walks over to Nicolai. The noise is at such a high range that only those with inhuman hearing can make out the sound. Hugue looks to the writhing vampire on the ground, stabs him in the chest just below the sternum and rips his blade in an arc, through Nicolai's heart and then his skull, the body spasms briefly as the last nerves die.

After flicking the blade clean, Hugue quickly goes over to the circular cage, slicing through the bars and lifting Ellie, who still continues to scream, out. He wasn't sure if she couldn't stop, or was unaware of what was happening, or was doing it because she knew the effect it had, but the longer she held out with the high-pitched noise, the more likely it was that the noise would reach Damien's ears and they could save Karin.


	7. Chapter 6

Somehow I've found my way back to level ground. I've propped a stray rock into the hinge of the door so it will stay open at least partially. It's night again now, so just standing here won't keep me safe. Knowing this, I should try to find a way around the high, solid concrete wall, but I stand here, peering down into the dark chasm from where I have just emerged.

I think I see something flit in the darkness, but it could just be my eyes playing tricks on me. I look closer and jump back when I see two golden eyes glinting up at me.

"Hello, poppet." Damien's head surfaces from the small gap of darkness with a smirk on his face. Panicking, I kick the stone that holds the door open, narrowly avoiding getting my foot crushed. There is a loud crack of stone on skull, and I take the opportunity to pull some debris down to block the door while Damien curses the growing lump on his head.

I'm off and running then, twisting around debris to find a way out of the concrete cage. Just when it seems as if all hope is lost, I see a hole, or more like a crack that I might possibly be able to shimmy through. I suck in my stomach, and, luckily, slide by, the only damage done is a few strands of hair lost on a rock and the dress I'm wearing rips in various places. Good riddance to it.

I bolt as soon as I can; the wind I create with my speed whipping against my face. As much as I hate it, I'm running away from the one place I want to be, regardless of the imminent danger. I can always go back, I keep telling myself. Once Damien loses my trail, I can go back.

I round the corner of a decaying building, but before I can fully make the ninety-degree turn, I'm slammed hard to the ground. A metallic taste fills my mouth, a few of the drops of blood staining the cold cobblestone street below me. There is cool laughter in my ear.

"I've got you now, my little peach! How dare you run from me." I gasp as he runs his hand up my thigh, while at the same time licking my neck, his fangs scraping my skin as he does so. I try to wriggle free, but it's of no use – he has me pinned and I can do nothing about it. My heart aches knowing that there is no chance I can save her now; I'll never be able to see her again. I may not be her mother, but she has no one else.

'Ellie….'

There is a piercing scream in my ear, and my body feels weightless as Damien rolls off of me. I expect to see Ellie, but there is only Damien, who writhes in the street, holding his head and screaming. I don't know what's causing him so much pain. I can hear nothing but his screams, so surely it can't be Ellie's doing, I think. Plus she might still be under the church and I don't think her voice could carry that far.

I take the golden opportunity to stand and start heading back for the church. Before I can go however, Damien grabs my leg and pulls back, almost causing me to fall back on the ground.

"I'm not done with you yet." His breath is ragged and there is blood coming from his ears, nose, and mouth. He looks horrible and there is an unwarranted pang in my chest. Is it strange to feel pity for the thing that was just about to kill you?

I wrestle with my leg to free it from his grasp and stumble forward as he lets go, his hand falling limp, Hugue's bladed staff sticking out of his skull. I quickly look up to see Hugue pulling the staff from Damien's head. He has a few wounds that drip blood, one dangerously close to his throat, but he seems to be alright; he's standing as firmly and strongly as he had before. In his other arm is a small bundle that hunches against, and buries her face in, his chest.

"Ellie?" She looks up upon hearing her name. I'm relieved that she's alright, but I don't go forward for fear that she's still angry with me. I don't want to run the risk of upsetting her more. Her lips tremble as she continues to hold my gaze.

"Mama…" she says softly. She sounds hoarse – maybe it was her voice that affected Damien after all? – and her eyes red from crying. Hugue walks forwards and transfers her into my arms gently. She tenderly wipes away the blood that has fallen down my chin from my mouth. "Mama, you're hurt." She knows the truth. She doesn't have to call me mama anymore, she doesn't have to care, and yet she squeezes me tight and cries onto my shoulder.

It doesn't happen often, but all at once I'm sobbing along with her. My face is streaked with tears and my shoulders shake, my whole body shakes; my knees give out and I collapse to the ground as I hug her back. I want to stand back up, but my legs refuse to respond, my whole body refuses to do anything but sit there in happy numbness.

I jolt when I feel a pair of arms around me, lifting me up. I stutter, trying to find the words through my blubbering and embarrassment, the words to express that he doesn't have to carry me, really. But his eyes stare forward and he has already begun to walk.

"Thank you," I say quietly. "Thank you so much." He nods silently and I squeeze Ellie tighter, resting my head jointly against the top of her head and Hugue's chest, a new batch of tears falling fresh from my eyes. I speak one more time to Ellie, who can only hear me in her dreams because of the slumber she has fallen into.

"Let's go home."


	8. Epilogue

"Wow!" Ellie's eyes sparkle with delight as she stares out of the window of the train as we speed through the countryside. She flits around the small cabin from window, to plush, cushioned seats, and back to the window. She looks positively ecstatic and I'm surprised she hasn't given herself a heart attack from all the excitement she's experiencing.

"It's like a fairytale, it's so green!" Her eyes follow the rolling hills of grass. "Is it always like this?" she asks of our escort, who sits across from me in the cabin, a goofy smile on his face. He had arrived a day ago to our small, homely apartment. Hugue had said they had gotten one of the best to escort us, but I'm not entirely convinced that this lanky, bespectacled priest can do much except for smile and answer Ellie's rapid-fire questions.

"Not always. It does snow here in the winter. But, it is beautiful then, too." He pushes his drooping glasses up his nose with his middle finger as he answers. It seems to be a habit of his, as he's done it several times upon our meeting and since we've boarded the train.

A knock sounds at the sliding door to our cabin, and Ellie practically throws herself to the floor in order to answer it. She slides it open and there stands a rather portly woman with a cart full of sweets and refreshments. Ellie's eyes ogle at the sight and I know I won't get away with a pleasant journey unless I get her something. She picks out a chocolate-chip muffin and I dig out the appropriate amount from my rag-tag coin purse to pay the woman.

"Anything for you, sir?" she inquires of the priest who sits, barely containing the drool that wells in his mouth.

"I would, but, alas, I am no more than a priest and the only thing I have to offer is my humble religious service." His stomach grumbles and he laughs awkwardly. I roll my eyes at the pathetic man. What makes him such a valuable asset, I wonder? But then, Hugue was more than he appeared as well.

"Two teas, please," I say to the woman. She pours the hot liquid into two mugs, retrieves her money, and ambles down the hall, stopping at the next cabin. We sit the mugs on a short table that juts out from the wall under the window. Ellie ravenously tears at her muffin, while the priest drops thirteen cubes of sugar in his tea, rambling on about low blood sugar.

He takes a sip and sighs contently. "Ah, wonderful. Thank you very much for treating me, Miss Bronig."

"Please, call me Karin," I say taking a sip of my own hot, soothing tea. "And it was no trouble at all, Father Nightroad. I can't have our escort starving to death. What good would you be then?" He laughs lightly and scratches the side of his head.

"Mama," Ellie tugs at the dress I'm in – different than the one Nicolai had me wear, longer with three-quarter sleeves. Still, she had found it in the back of the closet and insisted I wear the damn thing. "Mama, where's the bathroom?" She bobs up and down on her toes and bites her bottom lip. I sigh, quickly give her the directions, and watch her bolt down the hallway, near to explosion.

"She's quite lively."

"A gigantic handful."

There is a moment of silence in which the father drops another sugar cube into his tea. Apparently thirteen wasn't enough?

"So what does the Vatican want with Ellie?"

"Hm?" He looks up from his sugary concoction, a confused expression on his face. "I don't quite follow."

I smirk. "I find it insulting that you think I'm stupid, Father Nightroad. I am very grateful that the Vatican has offered to provide us with housing and surveillance so that we are well protected, but surely there is another motive besides merely keeping us safe. Witches, after all, in this day and age, are not well-regarded most of the time. So do you plan to kill her or exploit her?"

"Well, I assure you that if we wanted her dead, neither of you would be alive and on this train." He laughs nervously. "As for what we will do with her…I honestly don't know. I suppose you can ask her once we get there. She would like to speak with you as soon as you arrive."

Her?

"Are you scared, Karin?"

This takes me by surprise. I look him in the eyes. The blue orbs shine with the same grin he holds on his face; a hint of knowing passes through that smile. I can feel the small flush that rises to my cheeks and I shift my gaze back to the window.

"Wouldn't you be?" I counter with a question of my own.

He smiles still and glances out the window as well. "I would," there is a small pause as he thinks, "but not to worry, if anything goes wrong, I'll be there, your knight in shining armor!"

"My knight in shining armor?" I question incredulously, cocking an eyebrow. He's a strange fellow.

"Yes!" His eyes twinkle with the idea.

"So tell me, my knight," I smile and lean forward a little. He seems a bit intimidated and sinks back against his seat, "if you can't afford tea, where are you getting this armor?"

He falters. "Well, um…."

"And aren't you supposed to be riding a white horse, too?"

He twiddles his thumbs and looks down dejectedly. "It's not very nice to crush my dreams like that."

I laugh as he sips his tea in defeat, though I can tell he's smiling too.

"Mama!" Ellie bursts back in the room. "Look at the towels they have in the restrooms!" She holds up two blue hand towels, bronze leaves embroidered on the edges. "They're so pretty!"

"I don't think you're supposed to take them, Ellie."

"It's a souvenir." She stares me down with a strange combination of stubbornness and a pathetic pout. I find that I can't refuse.

"Alright, but don't let anyone catch you with them. I don't want to pay for them." She smiles in triumph and sits next to the priest, continuing her onslaught of questions.

I stare out the window, daydreaming, the sweet reverie interrupted every once in a while by Ellie's giggles, a smile plastered to her face.

She's never smiled so much in ten years as she has in just this one day. I'm nervous for what's to come, but as long as she continues to smile, I won't have to worry. I smile inwardly. I kind of sound like my sister, but I am strangely comforted by this, knowing that I can love Ellie like she would have.

The sun glistens through the window like a warm, silent 'thank you.'

'You're welcome,' I think, holding up my cup of tea in a silent toast.


End file.
